Tractor linked track.



H. Fl SCHMIDT.

TRACTOR LINKED TRACK.

Arnie/mon msn fzs. 1. |911.

1 ,300,029. Patented Apr. 8,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. F. SCHMIDT'.

TRACTOR LINKED TRACK.

APPUCATION FILED FEB. 7. l9l. 1 ,300,029, Patented Apr. 8,1919.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

n TT vil 'HUGO SCHMIDT,-OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS..

TRACTOR LINKED TRACK.

Specication of Letters Patent.

` Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

Application led February 7, 1917. Serial lo. 147,09. e

To all 'whom it may concern.' i

Be it lmown that'l, HUGO F.' SCHMIDT, a f

citizen of the'United States, residing in the city of Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Tractor Linked Tracks, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates -to improvemmts.1n linked tracks, also lmown ascaterpillar drive chains, for'tractors and similar machines. Among the.objects of the invention areito produce a simple and eiective linkeddnve chain oritrack capable ofsupportmg a heavy load and of affordingtraction for a tractor v or similar machine withoutfthe addition to themachine .of'unnecessary parts, and also to provide means for,effectively lubricating the wearing parts of the drive cham or track inorder that their wear ma be reduced to a A linked trac or chainembodying the principles of the invention is illustrated'in theaccompanying drawings, in which: v

Figure 1 is a view showing the complete mechanism in side elevation. A

Fig. 2 is a top lan view thereof. Fig. 3' is a -ra ial section throughone ofthe links ofthe track or chain.

Fig. i4 is an axial section through one of the links taken-on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

As shown in said drawings, in which are illustrated only the partsrelating particular-1y to the linked track, or caterpillar drive chainmechanism, the latter comprises a-- Vsprocket wheel and properly spacedtherefrom an idler wheel 2, over which is trained a linked track in/ theform of an endlesslv chain 3. In this the'general form of a box, withapair ofupright parallel side walls 4 and an integral connecting treadpart 5", the link having an open side toward-the sprocket wheel4 to ac-4commodate the sprocket teeth and an end also open. Each link is narrowedat one end to telescope into the open end of the -next succeeding link,and the connecting part between the narrow portion and the wide por-Ytion forms a shoulder in each side wall to engage against the edge ofthe o l ning into the large end of the adjacent lin and limit thetelescoping movement of vone link into another. This edge or shoulder isindicated at 10 where there is also shown a rim or ridge to reinforceand strengthen this part Hain each vlink is'madein'f" 'of the Themeeting edge of the adiacent link is also reinforced and strengthened bya rim 11, and these rims or :flanges are thickenedat two placesindicated respec-` tively at 12 and 13 to form abutments or stops andtransmit from one link to another the end thrust resulting from theweight of the load upon the lower sup rting partiif l the chain, and thetractive e ort. The llnks are so designed with relation to th'ese stops"that while .the chain is free to bend in a circle about the sprocketwheel 1 and the Y y idler 4wheel 2, its unbending movement is limited;and the-n eight of the tractor is supported upon a-bowed portion of thechain, below the two wheels, which is in eilcct an inverted arch adaptedto resist a force tend# i.

ing to bend the chain up between the two wheels. The overlapping ends ofeach adjacent pair of links are pinned together by pins v20, each pinbeing surrounded by a hardened sleeveor'bushing 21 which is fixed atits' ends in openings through the sides of the innerlink, whilelthe pin20 is fixed at its ends ntoopenings through the walls of .the outerlink, as `shown in Fig. 4, so that the only frictional engagement .ofone art with another is between the pin 20 an its sleeve 21 and bythismeans there is prevented any wear upon the edges of the openings throughthe walls 0f the two links. The sleeve 21 is made non-rotative withrespect to the inner link by means of set screws 22; and the pin 2 0'isfixed in the walls of the .outer link by a slotted plate 23, whichlatter .embraces a grooved part of the projecting outer end ofthepin 20and is fastened to the wall of the link by a screw 24. [In the smallend' of each link between the two side walls and integral therewiththere isformed an oil chamber or reservoir. 30 communicating throughlopenings 31 with ythe sleeve 21 and thence through correspondi mgopenings 32, through the sleeve, with the pivot pin 20; the openings 31and32 being is suppliedto' the oil reservoir in each link through anopening in its side wall which is closed by a removable plug 35, and inthe same wall at the opposite end of the i? 1.19

made a large circular opening 36 to afford access to the plug in theadjacent link at that end.

In order that the links may fit closely7 into each other as abovedescribed each link is made with its narrow end somewhat lower than itswide end, and the end portions of each tread part are cylindricallycurved, as indicated respectively at 40 and 41, to allow the necessarybendingmovement about the pivot pins 20. There is also lshown bolted tothev tread part of each link a crosswise extending and radiallyCprojecting cleat 45 to aid in securing traction; these cleats beingdetachable and being sec red in place by `bolts 46, with square shan stoprevent twisting n" The side walls of each link immediately below thedriving cleats 45 are strengthened or reinforced b outside radial ribsor flanges 48 to aid 1n sustaining'the weight of l the'tractor on thelinks.`

The frame of the vehicle, only a part of which is shown here, in Fig. 2,is made substantiall inthe form shown in my co-pending app icationNo.'101515` filed June 3rd,

.1916, and comprises a unitary structure. in-

cludlng an engine frame 60 and 'a gear-set housing 61 joined rigidlytothe engine frame, thesepart's forming the frame of theV vehicle. Fromeach side'of the gear-set housing 61 project integral tubular extenthedrive shafts are secured the driving' sions 65 formin journal boxes forthe'two halves of the drive shaft, not shown, -which extend throughthem; and on the ends of sprockets 1.-

Between the two Wheels'l and 2 and the frame is tted a large ellipticalguard or shield 80 made simply of a dat plate cut to the required shapeand supported uponthe projections 65 and 68, as shown in Fig. 2. Theouter vfaces of the two wheels 1 and 2 are similarly covered by a shieldor guard 82 parallel to the inner guard 80 and supported from it bylbent brackets 83 with their inner ends rlveted to the plate n80.

The sprocket wheel 1 is made with its teeth only half the distance apartof the pivot pins in the chain so that each link as it moves around thesprocket engages two teeth. The result is that only half of the teethare used, and after they have become too far worn for effective use thechain may be taken o and adjusted around the wheel to use the second setof teeth, thus doubling the life of the sprocket.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a linked` track for tractors, a number of links arranged in theform of an endless chain, each link being secured through a pivot to anadjacent link, and sealed oil chambers in each link; with restrictedoutlet passa esdirectly to -the corresponding pivots a Ording the solemeans of oilescape from the chambers.

2. In a linked track for tractorsa number of links arranged in the formof an endless chain, each link having a large end and a small vend andthe small end of each link being adapted totelescope into the large endof an adjacent link, a pivot connectin each pair of links, and a sealedoil cham er in the sma end of each link adapted to supply oil hrough arestricted outlet passage directly to its pivot. l

v means of oil escape from .the chambers, and

corresponding stops on the links to limit the telescoping movement ofone into another.

In lwitness whereof, I have hereunto subsgliied my name this 30th day ofJanuary, 1

HUGO F. SCHMIDT.

